International group 1 stars among Champions Day entries at Sha Tin
Champions Day will hold world racing’s spotlight at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, 28 April and the international occasion has attracted 111 entries from 14 countries, spread over six continents, for its three lucrative Group 1 contests.
Super filly Almond Eye is one of 30 nominations from Japan, while elite stars The Autumn Sun and Santa Ana Lane are among 12 Australian entrants. A total of 38 individual G1 winners hold entries to the lucrative triple-header, 10 more than were engaged at this stage last year.
Hong Kong’s outstanding “Master Miler” Beauty Generation heads the home team’s 39 nominations and the potential overseas challenge also includes top gallopers from Britain, France, Ireland, UAE, USA, South Africa, Qatar, Bahrain, New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay.
FWD Champions Day features the HK$24 million FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), the HK$18 million G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and the HK$16 million G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).
Mr Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director, Racing, said: “FWD Champions Day is one of the world’s elite race days and the high quality of nominations this year is indicative of that. Last year was the first time that we positioned all three of our spring majors on the same day and the result was a tremendous celebration of world class sport. This year, with FWD partnering for the first time, we can look forward to another exciting occasion.
“It is pleasing to have 38 Group 1 winners among the 111 horses nominated across the three races, including some of the sport’s biggest names. The broad worldwide spread of entries is an exciting feature of this year’s nominations, with an impressive Japanese contingent and a very welcome and strong group of entries from Australia. As ever, we look forward to welcoming the world’s leading horsemen and women to Sha Tin on 28 April.”
READ: Get more information on the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup here
FWD QEII Cup
Almond Eye is not the only Japanese star under consideration for the FWD QEII Cup. Wagnerian and Epoca D’Oro, the one-two in last year’s G1 Japan Derby, hold entries, as do the 2016 Japan Derby hero Makahiki and the top-class mares Lys Gracieux and Deirdre.
The last-named mare was a strong-finishing runner-up to Glorious Forever over the course and distance in the G1 Hong Kong Cup in December.
Australia’s ace three-year-old colt The Autumn Sun is doubly-engaged in the Cup and the FWD Champions Mile, while two-time G1 Australian Cup hero Harlem is also entered.
Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has engaged the top-class filly Magic Wand, a Royal Ascot winner last term and second in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf this year.
Glorious Forever is entered, as is Pakistan Star who raised the roof when winning last year’s QEII Cup. Exultant, though, has emerged as the star of Hong Kong’s 2000m-plus division this season, and he will attempt to exert his authority.
Meanwhile, the talented BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Furore and the exciting runner-up Waikuku are engaged with a view to usurping the old guard and repelling the overseas raiders.
Overseas competitors have won the race 12 times since 1995.